In 1957 Donizetti's Anna Bolena marked the first modern opera execution at La Scala and the title pushed its way straight into the repertory. The recording of that historical night at La Scala reaffirms the extraordinary affinity that Maria Callas had with the belcanto-pre-Romantic repertory, the consistency of the group of singers that was typical of the Milanese playlists in those years and Gianandrea Gavazzeni's explorative way of breathing musical and theatrical life into neglected titles. The images from Luchino Visconti's staging convey what the historians have always considered the most brilliant and precise modern scenic evocation of nineteenth century romantic visual art.